Chihuly Exhibit Dec 2008

Yes, it’s been quite a while. Sorry about that. If anyone is still reading, here are a few fun photos from my visit to the Desert Botanical Garden. Angie and I went to the Chihuly installation and were agape at most of the art. It was a lovely morning. Perfect Phoenix winter – in the low 60s!

Chihuly's Beautiful Glass Balls at the Botanical Garden

Chihuly Sun in Boanical Garden

The glass was so incredibly inspiring! I cannot believe how he is able to manipulate such an awesome medium. The colors and shapes have really inspired me and I can’t wait to start drawing in my journal and painting!

Chihuly Blue Glass with Cactus

Blue Glass from Chihuly exhibit December 2008

If you’re planning to be in Phoenix between now and March, do take some time to attend the Chihuly installation. It will be well worth your time!

Chihuly Exhibit with Sun Reflections

Sedona Morning - Pen and Ink with watercolor on 140# CP Watercolor Paper

Ah, really, there is nothing like the feeling of driving into Sedona. There is something about seeing those majestic red rock formations that just forces me to relax. It is one of the reasons I wanted to spend my birthday weekend up there. Another reason is that I am always inspired by the beauty of Sedona to pull out my sketchbook and try to capture these fabulous formations. In short, it was a fabulous weekend.

Dave and I did a lot of relaxing, driving around, nice dinners, and napping. The weather during the day was in the mid to upper 80s and so we even sat by the pool a few days. In the mornings and evenings, though, it was heavenly.

Pen and Ink Drawing of the View from the Pool at Amara Resort & Spa

Each day we went to our favorite Sedona breakfast place, The Coffee Pot. Their menu is huge – 101 omelettes! There is always something good to eat there and, of course, plenty of coffee flows through the breakfast. We then would go for a drive around town, looking for some great views for me to photograph or draw; dreaming of what it would be like to own a home up there and to be able to escape the city more often… Ah, dreaming…

Each day after breakfast, we chose a different activity, depending upon what we felt like doing. Friday, we drove around then went for coffee, where I drew while Dave read the newspaper. From there, we decided to walk around town and window shop. Friday evening, we had a lovely dinner at Dahl & DiLuca Ristorante. It was a lovely evening.

View from Sedona Community Center Park Bench

The second day, we started to wander a different way and we ended up on the road to Flagstaff. So, we took it as a sign that Saturday was to be our day in Flagstaff. That, however, turned out to be poor timing. While we had a lovely time, it turned out that this was the date of the Northern Arizona University Homecoming celebration. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen drunk college kids at 10 am. The bars were hopping, the students were plastered, and we were feeling very old! We walked around a bit, but got out of there before the parade started – just in the nick of time!

Saturday evening, we had dinner reservations at Yavapai restaurant at the Enchantment Resort. The food was phenomenal. They handled my many allergies with aplomb and the atmosphere was fabulous. Unfortunately, we got there after sunset, so I did not get to see what I’m told is an amazing view. I suppose this means we’ll need to go back again soon!

Pen & Ink with Watercolor Drawing of View from Sedona Community Center Bench

Sunday we decided to pick up a copy of the New York Times to read during breakfast. After eating, we found a place to sit and enjoy the weather. We sat outside at the Sedona Community Center, which is a huge complex of picnic areas, soccer fields, playgrounds, baseball diamonds, etc. As in most places in Sedona, there was an amazing view, so I enjoyed the view by drawing and painting while Dave caught up on the news. We went to Tlaquepaque, which is an area filled with restaurants and galleries. We had a nice and relaxing lunch at Rene, a restaurant in the Tlaquepaque area. We were both tired, so we sat and read for a while and then had dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. Hundred Rox. The food, again, was fabluous.

On Monday, we woke ready to head home. As much as I enjoy a weekend away, there truly is nothing better than being back in my own bed! We had breakfast, sat outside for one final drawing (which is not yet finished, but I’ll post it later in the week) and then we checked out of the hotel. We came home to catch up and enjoy the rest of the day in our home.

All in all, it was a fabulous way to spend my birthday. I came home to 10 phone messages from friends and family and many emails and e-cards wishing me a happy birthday. I feel so blessed to have all of these people in my life. Mostly, though, I’m so blessed to have felt well enough to enjoy every moment of the weekend with Dave and without my cane.

Hat made by Lorri Scott and Jen Witmer

Wow! What a week! Art Unraveled 2008 is officially over. And while I had a lovely time and I did my best to watch my energy levels, I’m exhausted. No surprise after 12 days of friends, art, and shopping! It was well worth the time and energy. I had a lovely time seeing so many out of town friends – Katie, Judy, Shirley, Joanne, Kara, Marilyn, Tracie Lyn, Lorri… just to name a few and then to catch up with dear Maija and Angie. I really can’t say enough about them! And meeting others – Jane, Barbara and so many others I can’t even begin to list them all! In short, it was wonderful. Art Unraveled is a relaxing, energizing, and completely creative! It was so much fun to see everyone, to play with my friends, and to have meals with my friends. I did a lot of smiling, talking, laughing, and listening. It was truly fabulous.

And I had a great time at the Extravaganza vendor fair, too. I had asked Lorri if I could sit by her booth so I could rest when I got tired, and that was a blessing. I got to spend more time with Joanne, who was staffing the booth while Lorri taught and it helped me to spend the day there without being completely off balance and tired. The best part was that Lorri sold the most fabulous hats, pins, hand-dyed ribbons, and scarves. I immediately bought the hat and later ended up choosing which pin I needed to have. Isn’t that adorable? I’ve also requested the same style in another color. With the hair loss, I am going to need some hats and other hair-covering accessories for a while, and these are so comfortable!

Oh, and on the hair loss… I’m waiting to hear from the dermatologist, who took a some blood for several tests. It turns out that the hair loss is not from the medication as we thought. My dosages haven’t changed in two years and so that’s not what caused it. Something is going on in my body and we’ll take this as a symptom. The blood test results need to come back before we can figure out what’s causing the problem, but the dermatologist was fabulous and said I will not be bald. I may lose all my hair before this is over, but I won’t be bald permanently. That’s a relief. For now, I’m going to enjoy accessorizing with scarves and hats.

I’ve been working on the quilts from Jane’s class – doing some hand-embellishing, which I am really enjoying. I also did some work on some dolls I made, but they’re not quite finished yet. I hope to finish those in the next few days so I can post them here and on Etsy.

And tomorrow is my treatment – perfect timing after the 12 days of fun with friends and diminished energy! I’ll check in when the initial fatigue wears off.

Window painted in Whimsical Watercolor Compositions Class

Yesterday I took a very good class with Barbara Roth called, “Creating Whimsical Watercolor Compositions”. It was a relaxing environment, with just five students and the instructor in a nice intimate classroom. In the morning we did a directed exercise. We went through all the steps together and started off with the same basic drawing – a window – and all of us ended up interpreting it differently. It was interesting to see how differently the same instructions were interpreted, and it was fabulous. To the right is my interpretation of the window.

Ponte Vecchio painted in Whimsical Watercolor Compositions Class

In the afternoon, we were able to choose one of her pre-designed compositions or our own. I chose one of hers, but instead of tracing it (which was an option), I decided to give it my own twist by drawing from her image. She had us draw in pencil, which was good, since I could go back and remove things as I was going along. However, when I picked up my Pigma Micron, I chose the wrong one – one with a wide tip and so the lines are a bit more pronounced than I would like. This is from an image of the Ponte Vecchio in Firenze, Italy. I hope to go there some day… The class was a great way to see things in my photos that I can now do some work to create for myself.

After class, I was able to meet up with Joanne, Angie, Shirley, Kara (no blog, sorry!), Lorri, and DJ (even if just for a quick hello!). We were going to just have a quick dinner, but it turned into a nice long catch-up time. It’s always so awesome when friends from all over and online become friends in real life! I had a lovely evening and came home tired, but energized at the same time.

Today I have, for the most part, a resting day at home. I need to recharge! This afternoon I have a dermatology appointment to see about this hair loss and a rash I’ve been unable to get rid of. We suspect it is all from the medications, but it never hurts to have it checked.

After the appointment, I am meeting up with the group again for “happy hour” at the hotel. And then I have class with Judy Wise. I met Judy last year at AU and I couldn’t resist owning some of her prints (which are proudly sitting in my studio!). She’s been making a living with her art for a long time and the class I’m taking is on selling and marketing your artwork. I’m excited to learn more.

And now I am off to actually get moving on my day, starting with unpacking from yesterday’s class and making sure I have what I need for tonight.

Painted quilt - Female Desert Tortoise

Jane is a very relaxed instructor who gently guides people without being pushy. That’s a rare gift in an instructor and one I celebrate. We created the tops for two small quilts. One of an animal and another a “faux” landscape. Many people used photos of their pets as the “models” for the animal quilts. Others of us chose another animal. I used a photo I had from the wildlife rescue of a female desert tortoise. I liked the photo and really thought that I could go to town on the tortoise’s shell. I did!

Landscape quilt in process

For the landscape, I had considered using one of my pictures from France, but it was not meant to be. I forgot to print it out and decided to just roll with it! I used almost all batik fabrics for the landscape and just created layers and a mood. It will need a lot of stitching and embellishing to really “be” a landscape, but it’s on its way.

And, of course, today I am paying for yesterday’s long and busy day. I’m very tired and a bit off balance. I am quite glad that I scheduled just two full-day classes and that I have time off in-between. On Thursday evening, I also have a class, and I’m meeting some friends for happy hour beforehand. I really wanted to be there at the retreat location all the time to enjoy the retreat and spend time with friends, but I know that it would have really put a strain on my health. Next week is my treatment and I know that the medication is starting to diminish in my system.

Anyway, today I plan to stitch and embellish quite a bit. It’s relaxing and I can get

Last night, I picked up Joanne and we went to the Scottsdale Waterfront area. I drove around to show her the area and we chose Olive and Ivy as the restaurant for dinner. One of Dave’s partners loves this restaurant and now I can see why. The ambiance is quite nice and we sat for hours and had a lovely dinner. Since we’re both recently back from visits to the Mediterranean, it was a perfect dinner location for us.

Today I plan to pick up Joanne for a relaxing day here in the studio. Tonight is the Meet the Artists Kick-Off. I’m probably not going, since I have class tomorrow and I know it will be too much for me. Joanne, Angie and I are all taking our class together by complete serendipity! It will be a fabulous day, I’m sure.

So, after we got rained on – again – and headed to our hotel, we were very tired and I was starting to feel weary. Neither of us really wanted to do much of anything at that point, so we ended up ordering room service. For me, that meant a green salad. For Dave, it meant a salmon and pasta with the obligatory basket of bread. We watched a movie on our portable iLuv player, since there was no English-language tv or newspapers available. It was a fairly early night, but after a lot of walking, it was fine. Dave had his conference the next day and we didn’t want him to be too tired for that!

Drawing of Paris Lamp post on Champs Elysses

On Friday morning, Dave and I had some time together before his conference. We decided to walk down the Champs-Elysees, where all the designer shops, fancy cafes and five-star restaurants are. We aren’t really into the designer fashion scene, but it was a pretty street to walk down. And, unlike much of the rest of Paris, it had a wide sidewalk that made it easier for us to walk together. It was quite hot and humid that day, but we found a newsstand that had an English version of a world newspaper and Dave purchased it immediately. I was still fairly tired from the day before, so we found a cafe and sat down. I pulled out my sketchbook and drew. Now, this is what I expected to see in Paris!

Drawing of store window in Paris, France

Of course, I was not prepared for the crazy chain-smoking Parisians. OMG! The chain smoking along with the espresso… No wonder they are all so thin – nicotine and caffeine! And they sit for hours, alternating between smoking, ordering an “encore” (another) of cafe, and talking on their phones. In that way, they’re much like New Yorkers… obsessed with multitasking! I guess, really, that was me, when I was playing executive – minus the smoking, the multitasking, the coffee… all me!

Drawing of a cafe scene in Paris, France

And so, after a coffee and a Metro ride home, we grabbed some lunch at a cafe near the metro. Dave had to change into his suit for his meeting and headed to the other side of Paris.

As for me, I was going to rest for the afternoon – nap, draw, watch some French TV for the heck of it and then I was meeting Dave for dinner at the Senat building, where the conference was having a traditional French dinner. So, I napped, added some color to the sketches above, and watched some movie on TV in French. Yes, I watched a movie in French! I got the plot, for the most part. It was about a woman who discovers she has breast cancer, but is having trouble with her photographer husband and doesn’t tell him. Of course, it turns out fine, because the tumor is removed and she doesn’t seem to need chemo or radiation, and their marriage is healed by her disease… Yes, I got all this by watching and getting the gist of what they were saying in French. It was an entertaining hour and a half – mostly because I could figure it out and because it was so much like a US film wold be on Lifetime!

Drawing of Senat Building in Paris, France

Later that afternoon, I dressed for the dinner. I was all dressed up in my little black dress and shawl, and I brought my jacket with me, because it had cooled off. I was to take a taxi to the Luxembourg Palace, where we were to have dinner. It appeared to me that this was not really a palace, and I hoped that it was prettier from the other side! As it turns out, the building of the address was actually the Senat building (yes, Senate without the “e”), and it was not at all palatial! However, I got there, and I was 45 minutes early. This, of course, put the people in the reception area in a tizzy. I was far too early, and they were not prepared for anyone yet. I said I’d come back and went to try to find a cafe. No luck, as it was already dinner time and the cafes were now set for dinner. So, I plopped myself across from the Senat building entrance, waiting for Dave’s bus to arrive. I pulled out my journal and I drew! It was fun to watch people walk by me and look at my drawing, looking across the street to see what I could possibly be drawing! I guess I looked pretty comfortable there, since a few people asked me for directions.

Drawing of iron work at Senat building, Paris, France

Dinner was lovely. Dave went to the head waiter before service started and reminded him of my allergies. He handed him one of my allergy cards and he said it wasn’t going to be a problem. And, truly, it was not. We sat with the US contingency (very few of us flew in from the States) and I got to meet the delightful wives of some of Dave’s colleagues. I’ve known the colleagues for a while, since I tend to go to meetings with him. No, I don’t mind when he talks shop. All my years in health care administration helps me to keep up with the conversations. They served a lovely six-course dinner, all courses were adapted for my allergies, and the evening was a delight.

Dinner ended after 10:30 and we were on the other side of Paris from where our hotel was. So, we went in search of a taxi. Taxis in Paris are highly unionized. You can get a taxi only at taxi stands or through your hotel. It took a 20 minute walk and about 20 minutes more for the first taxi to decide to work. They were lined up chatting rather than driving… Anyhow, we got back to the hotel and went straight to sleep. The next morning, we went down to breakfast (aside here, I need to tell you about the breakfast room, but I’ll do that later in this post) and quickly ate. From there, Dave left for his meeting, where he was going to present his paper. I had plans to go to the Musee d’Orsay for the day. And, honestly, it was the best day I had there.

Musee d'Orsay clock, Paris, France

I rested a bit in the morning, making sure I had all the energy I could for the day at the museum. I walked to the Metro and then through the Tuileries in the drizzle and got to the Orsay. There was a huge line. And I took a look around and I saw a man selling his paintings along the Seine across the street from the museum (right). breath and decided I’d just bare it and get ready to stand for an hour before going in. No, I did not need to do that. My quad cane to the rescue again. I had the lovely advantage of a gentleman taking me to the front of the line and letting me in immediately. You know, I don’t get this kind of treatment when I’m here in the US!

Man selling his artwork along the Seinne across from the Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France

I took my time walking through the sculptures on the entry floor. So lovely and it was so amazing to be right there, next to these amazing sculptures. I took lots of photos. I was overwhelmed with the inspiration, so I was not ready to draw. I figured the photos would serve as memories and I could draw at a later time. I decided to go up to the top floor and work my way down. I saw every piece of art in that museum. I stopped at every picture, looked closely at the brush strokes of the Masters, and I studied them. I took photos of some of the parts of the paintings I wanted to remember – how they used shading on a certain face; how they used something I use in my work and I could find another place for it. I took photos of an amazing mixed-media sculpture made in bronze and fabric. The horse and man are in bronze, but then it appears to be a thin canvas painted in black (gesso?) that serves as his cloak. I was constantly surprised at how much of what we do now as artists has, in some ways, been done for centuries!

Mixed-media sculpture - clay, bronze and fabric

I took a break in the middle of the day for lunch at the museum’s restaurant. I thought it would be a good rest for me and they were, happily, undaunted by my allergies. So, I sat and ate and, as it turned out, at the table next to me, an artist sat down. Sheila Giles-Oddy sat and chatted with me. She is a pen and ink and watercolor artist. She’s from Toronto, Canada, and we had a lovely chat. She and her husband had been to the Orsay five times and they never tired of it. She and I exchanged cards and she invited me to call next time I am in Toronto. And I shall! Sheila, if you’re reading this, it was so lovely to meet you! I will definitely let you know when my husband and I come to Toronto.

Dave’s talk was received well, and at the end of his day he was exhausted. I was, too. I mean, I had been on my feet for 8 hours. So, we ordered room service again and decided to stay in and watch a movie on our iLuv. We watched Across the Universe. Or, rather, I watched, Dave slept. It was quite a cute movie. What a great way to use Beatles tunes!

The next day, we had breakfast (petit dejuner) in the hotel. Now, this little breakfast room was a source of entertainment each morning we were in Paris. Petit dejuner was included in our hotel rate, so we could get started each morning. To get there, we had to either take five flights of stairs down, or take the elevator to the basement. The room was filled with tiny chairs and breakfast tables that were pre-set with coffee cups, saucers, a napkin, and a small plate.  Everything else, except the coffee, was set up on an a table that was about 2 meters long (see, I got into the Metric System while there!). There was coffee American-style, brewed and available for us to just keep refilling our cup as much as we wanted. The room was stuffy, small, and hot; there was no air circulating in that room. They had a small fan running, but unless you were blessed to sit at the table right next to it, you didn’t feel it. And there were bad croissants and odd yogurts (granny smith apple yogurt?) and corn flakes available. They did have hard boiled eggs, which I was able to peel and make into an egg-white breakfast, so all was not lost!

The characters at the breakfast changed each morning. The first morning, we sat next to a couple that was from Australia. Like us, they were visiting Europe for the first time. She had a milk allergy and Celiac Disease and could not eat anything that was there. We chatted and told her we’d found the supermarket and where she could find soy milk. It was nice to speak English before the coffee kicked in! LOL Another day, it was all business people, rushing to get their food and coffee down and to head to a meeting. (It was amazing to me that with all those carbs Parisians and the French in general, appeared to be quite thin.) Another day, two German women sat near us, and were clearly as much in a fog as we were. Perhaps that’s why one of the last days there, we noticed the rather large man and his son. The . The language they spoke was either Italian or Spanish. Dave thought Spanish, I was convinced it was Italian. The man reminded me of Marlon Brando from The Godfather. He even had the scratchy authoritative voice! His wife put together a plate that was overflowing with lots of croissants and muffins. His son was sent to do the same soon after that. Both were gone almost immediately. We didn’t even see them eat them, just knew there was activity going on by the amount of food that seemed to disappear in moments.

Later that morning, we stopped at le marche (the market) and picked up some fruit. Then we sat at a Cafe for lunch. We were tired and looking forward to leaving Paris. We packed our clothes and prepared for a quiet afternoon. We went out to dinner and to sleep early. We were ready to leave Paris, really. We needed the quiet of the country, and the next day, that was to happen.

More tomorrow!

Eliana attends a Jewish Day School, where she learns Hebrew and Jewish traditions as part of her daiy curriculum. She picks up languages easily and reads Hebrew really beautifully. As part of the Passover Seder, the youngest person in attendance customarily reads “The Four Questions” about why we celebrate Passover as we do. For over 15 years, I have been the youngest in the Saperstein family. Now, however, Eliana has taken over that role. She read the Questions beautifully in Hebrew, bringing tears of pride to my MIL’s eyes.

While here, Eliana requested two things of Auntie Fran and Uncle Dave – to learn some art from Auntie Fran and to learn some magic from Uncle Dave. We happily obliged. Eliana spent time with Uncle Dave learning to do the “rice paper” trick. If this works right, you should see a video of their trick in tandem!

The other thing she wanted to do was to paint. And, while I don’t have photos of painting with her, I do have a photo of her finished painting. We started with a background. She decided to use blues and greens because she was going to paint a mermaid. While the background was drying on the canvas panel, we drew faces on watercolor paper and cut them out (similar to the style of Katie Kendrick’s work!) and then we glued those on. I taught Eliana a light touch with the paint. And she did a fabulous job. To the right is her mermaid with shell top, long torso, and great green tail and fins! She has a light iridescence all over her body and face from iridescent gold and silver paint. I think she did a lovely job!

To be honest, I was surprised that Eliana was so focused for the two hours we
painted the first day. While she painted, we talked about all kinds of things – how the colors got their names (as she read them from the paint tubes), how much fun it was to spend time together painting, and some things to surprise Papa for his birthday when she comes back in December.

On the day before they left, Eliana, her mother Andrea, and I went for a “girls day” at the nails shop where i get my nails done. I had gotten Andrea’s permission to get Eliana a kid mani-pedi, where they would just file her nails and paint them the colors of her choice. Eliana chose four different colors to use and also wanted flowers on her toes and fingers. Crystal, the nail technician was so fabulously good with her! Eliana actually sat for a long time not wanting her manicure and pedicure to be ruined, while her mother and I had mani-pedis ourselves! I took a photo of her patiently sitting with her nails while Crystal added flowers to her toes. We’re already planning to do it again next time she comes!

I am so honored to have such a strong connection with Eliana. My aunts were so important in my life and I can’t even begin to express their roles in my life. I hope I can be a support to her the way my aunts have always been to me.

Though the visit exhausted me and I did spend some time in bed while they were here, I miss Eliana dearly. My heart is full of the memories of our week together and her sweet hugs. Her drawings surround me and I know how fast the time will pass until I see her again, but I miss seeing that pretty face each morning!

First, we met for a great dinner at Lockwood, the restaurant in Joanne’s hotel, The Palmer House. I went up to Joanne’s room and we exchanged gifts. FUN! Joanne loved the tote I made for her and said she would definitely use it! She gave me a fantastic doll pin that represented each of us and a fun tote from Target that features spoons! How apropos! We had a lovely dinner and planned to meet the next morning for breakfast at my hotel.

Tuesday morning we met for a long leisurely breakfast. We talked non-stop! And then we went to the Chicago Art Institute. Because Joanne is a member, we were able to see the Edward Hopper and Winslow Homer exhibits without tickets. I had my walker, so we had to find our way through the maze of elevators and floors. I suppose a map would have helped, but neither of us picked up one. The fabulous docents and guards were very willing to help.

We enjoyed both exhibits, but were both pretty tired from standing so long. And, well, we can both always eat! So, we went to the Garden Cafe in the museum for a lovely lunch. We both splurged and had dessert – I had coconut sorbet (YUMMY!) and Joanne had some fabulous-looking ice cream with chocolate sauce. We sat and talked for quite a while and then both decided we were “museumed out”! So we went to the gift shop. It is always fun to walk through museum gift shops. We had fun, but suddenly, I became quite tired. I purchased my gift for Angie and we headed back outside to catch a taxi to my hotel.

We sat in the hotel and talked, waiting for Dave to complete his day of meetings. He came in around 4:30 and we had 5 pm reservations at a lovely little Italian restaurant within a short walk of the hotel, Volare. It was a great meal and very affordable. I highly recommend it. All three of us enjoyed our food!

From there, we grabbed another taxi and wen to see Wicked. Now, for those of you who don’t know, The Wizard of Oz is my FAVORITE movie of all time. Wicked came to Phoenix, but was completely sold out in a short time, so I didn’t get to go. When I found out it was playing in Chicago, I emailed Joanne from my Palm Centro and asked if she was interested in seeing it with Dave and me. We were so lucky to get Center Orchestra tickets! I got an FM receiver from the Auditorium so I didn’t miss a thing. That, combined with my Baha, made for a great experience! If you get a chance to see the musical, do! It’s funny, filled with lots of great dancing, costumes and satire. And the music is so much fun!

The next morning, I met Joanne at her hotel. Our plan was to have breakfast and then to go to the Blick Art Materials across the street from her hotel. It called to us. We had no choice but to visit this two-story art materials mecca. We had so much fun that an hour quickly passed! Joanne was able to get a bunch of Golden’s products she needed for her Art & Soul classes. I was able to find a few things I couldn’t live without that could easily slip into my suitcase! We went back to her hotel to drop off her bounty, sat in the lobby and talked, and then went to a nice long lunch.

I walked back to her hotel with her and we said our good-byes. It was a lovely time, especially knowing that Joanne is coming to Art Unraveled in August, so we will have more time together soon. It was a fabulous time, as we both knew it would be. I’m still amazed at how friendships can become so incredibly strong over the Internet and then can blossom into “real life” friendships.

Wednesday evening, Dave and I went to dinner at Shula’s in our hotel. We were both tired and wanted to have a quiet dinner, which we did. We both needed a good night’s sleep, since Thursday was our travel day and Dave had an early breakfast meeting.

Thursday morning, I slept late while Dave went to his meeting, and then I took some time to draw. I hadn’t taken much time to draw while Joanne was there, since we had so much to share!I was definitely ready to return home. The flight was pretty bumpy, but I didn’t get sick – a huge victory!

I added in some pictures I drew while i was in Chicago. They’re really quite simplistic, but it felt good to have a pen in my hands and to truly observe things. I don’t think I’d have noticed the fabulous columns that make up the Wrigley building without observing it to draw.

Today I’m preparing for our family to visit for Passover. My 7-year-old niece, Eliana, is coming to visit with her parents. We’re having two Seders here at the house. We’ll bring my FIL and MIL over for them and for other days during the week. I’ll be doing art with Eliana! She wants me to teach her some things. I’m happy to oblige! Uncle Dave will teach her some magic tricks, too. It will be a fabulous week, if I can keep track of my spoons!

Today was the 18th International Sketchcrawl. We met other sketchcrawlers at the Desert Botanical Gardens here in Phoenix. I think two of us had been there before, so it was a first time for many of us. It was such a beautiful day – bright and sunny and nice and cool with a slight breeze in the morning. Of course, it being the desert and the end of March, it quickly got up to the low 80s and we were all pretty tired. This is probably the last outside sketchcrawl we’ll do until October or November!

There was so much to draw! We all walked off into our own groups and sat and drew and painted. What amazed us all the most was that there were so many people out and about sketching, painting, and photographing. It is like an artist’s heaven there! Angie and I went on our own and found some shady spots. I used my walker, knowing that the terrain might be tricky for me. I was glad I had it. It gave me a seat no matter where we were and it did help me keep from falling several times as we moved along. It was nice to bring the walker with the purpose being “just in case” rather than “must use”.

The first subject Angie and I chose was a Dr. Seuss-like tree. There was no marker to tell us the name where we found it, but we knew we’d find it later. Sure enough, we did. It’s a member of the Aloe family. It’s aloe dichotoma, and it’s from South Africa. The bark is very light and at the bottom has bark peeling off of it. It has quite a bit of yellow in it. The leaves looked similar to those of an aloe vera plant, but they wer much more wavy and curly. I tried to capture it, but I think I captured the essence of it, not the reality. And that was fine with me!:) The drawing is to the left. Angie did a lot more of a realistic version, so she took a bit longer with her drawing.

So, while Angie finished her drawing, I found I had time in that spot to do one more drawing. I decided to draw a saguaro cactus that was also in my line of vision. I like how this turned out. I used different Pigma Graphic and Micron pens to get the detail. The shape and color really intrigued me. It’s to the right. It seems right that it should be one of the drawings from the Desert Botanical Gardens, don’t you think?

When we finished there, we found we still had time for at least one more drawing. We found a nicely shaded spot with benches and a lovely fountain. The sound of the water was so relaxing that we knew we’d found our second spot. We each chose our subjects. Angie was delighted by a yellow wildflower and chose that. I was staring at some bark that just seemed to scream to be drawn! I didn’t think I was going to add color to it with all the detail in the bark, but I decided it needed some color to show off how much diversity of color there was in the bark and to highlight the peeling bark and what was underneath. I’m really quite happy with this drawing!

We met up at the cafe there and talked about future locations. Since it’s so incredibly hot here in the summer, we all decided the next few sketchcrawl locations would have to be indoors. We’ll be looking at the Phoenix Art Museum, the Heard Museum, and even some malls. There’s always something to sketch, no matter where you go! And nothing beats indoors on those 100+-degree days!

Angie and I saw as much as we could, but there is so much more to see. We are planning to go again this week, while the cactus are blooming. We got several photos, too, but I haven’t had time to get those cleaned up. We’re both convinced we’ll have to become frequent visitors of the Desert Botanical Gardens!